Fall First Impressions: How to Boost Curb Appeal This Season

Your home never gets a second chance to make a first impression with prospective homebuyers – and fall is the perfect season to make that first impression unforgettable. With autumn underway, enhance your home’s exterior with fall maintenance and seasonal staging.

Here are seven ways to boost curb appeal when selling a home this fall:

While the vibrant hues of foliage add beauty to the season, fall leaves can sometimes look messy when they accumulate in your yard. Regularly raking the leaves helps maintain a tidy appearance and prevents potential damage to your lawn.

With the arrival of shorter days, it’s essential to ensure your outdoor lighting is in top shape with updated bulbs. To take lighting to the next level, consider installing stylish sconces, a weather-resistant chandelier or lanterns to create a warm welcome that starts outside.

In warmer climates, lawn care is a year-round endeavor that entails cutting grass, trimming hedges, edging walkways, maintaining flowers and more. But in colder climates, fall is when lawn care tapers off as winter looms ahead.

That said, if your home is on the market this fall, make sure to maintain a sleek yard by keeping up with tasks like lawn mowing and leaf raking. The general rule of thumb is that you can water the grass until nighttime temperatures start to dip closer to freezing, making it necessary to turn off the irrigation system.

Fall mulching offers several benefits – including insulating your soil and plant roots, which in turn can reduce stress caused by low temperatures. Plus, adding a topical layer of mulch to beds during the fall can give a refreshed look to help with curb appeal.

Seasonal decorating is a great way to impress potential buyers and create an inviting atmosphere. To spruce up the space, hang a wreath in rich autumn colors on the front door, add a fresh welcome mat, and consider implementing seasonally-specific items like pumpkins and gourds.

Flowers are another great addition to a home’s exterior, even during fall. Enhance your front porch with flowerpots or window boxes filled with fall favorites – like low-maintenance mums – in shades of orange, yellow, pink, purple and red.

Transform your front porch, patio or deck into a cozy retreat where buyers can picture themselves enjoying the season while watching the leaves fall. Stage the space with simple outdoor furniture and add a few decorative items, like weather-proof pillows.

With cooler temperatures making outdoor work more comfortable, it’s an ideal time to tackle tasks that benefit the structure’s exterior. Touch up any peeling paint on the outside of the home – and if a full paint job is needed, consider doing it before it gets too cold out. Other beneficial tasks include power washing the exterior, cleaning or replacing house numbers and polishing door hardware. These updates can help show potential buyers that your home is especially well-cared-for.

Ready to sell your home this fall? Connect with a local RE/MAX agent today.

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